Kemp announces retirement from Logan County schools

Logan County schools superintendent Marshall Kemp announced his retirement this week at the regular meeting of the county school board.

He turned in his letter of resignation on Tuesday and will begin his retirement in July. His last day as superintendent will be June 30.

“It’s been no secret that I was planning on this being my last year,” Kemp said. “42 and a half years is a pretty long time in this business anymore. Right now I probably need to bow out and let new leadership take over.”

Kemp has spent nearly all of those 42 and a half years working for the Logan County system.

The only time he wasn’t in the district was the two years he spent working as the Russellville Independent superintendent.

“It is a decision that I have considered for some time, and I believe that this is in the best interest for this school system and for me that I retire,” Kemp said in his resignation letter to the school board. “It is my hope that it will be remembered that I have sought to make responsible decisions and meaningful contributions to the schools that I have made every effort to serve and that the schools and this school system have experienced improvement toward academic excellence during my tenure.”

Before serving as superintendent of both local school systems, Kemp worked as a teacher, principal, district administrator and assistant superintendent in the Logan County school system. But he will always be remembered for the past 15 years he has spent leading the district that he spent so much time serving.

Kemp said he feels like the schools have made good progress during his time as superintendent.

“The fact that we have a distinguished rating on the on the district report card and are only one of 25 in the state with that ranking is a pretty good thing,” Kemp said.

The school district has accomplished that despite seeing severe cutbacks in funding in recent years.

“That’s been one of the biggest frustrations as a superintendent, as I am sure it is with many other superintendents,” Kemp said. “But we’ve been in a financial position where it has not been as harmful to use as it has been in other places.”

And once he’s worked his final day, Kemp said he won’t necessarily miss getting up every morning to come into the office, but he will miss those he has worked with for all the years.

“I’ll miss dealing with the great people I work with and all the stakeholders in this school district,” Kemp said.

Going forward, the school board will have to list the position and then begin a search for a new superintendent.

“There’s a process that’s laid out and it involves forming a screening committee,” Kemp said. “They’ve got to decide whether they are going to contract that out or do it in house. That hasn’t been discussed yet, but I expect a plan will be in place by February.”